DIY & Renovations

8 Plastic Recycling Facts for Any Ordinary Household

Karen Donovan

Plastic is everywhere. You can’t escape. Packaging, home insulation, automobiles, furniture, and the list goes on. It’s not really surprising, considering how durable and cheap plastic is.

But, unfortunately, we’re learning how bad it is for the environment, especially as microplastics are being consumed by fish in the ocean. We are starting to finally take action, but we won’t know if these are successful methods for several years. Until then, recycling may be the best option available.

We tend to use a lot of plastic on any given day. Whether it is a product we purchased at the store or a bottle of water we got from the local gas station to quench our thirst, plastic dominates our lives. Not a whole lot of it is recycled either (see below). In fact, so much plastic is tossed in the garbage that this plastic could travel the world four times over. Yikes!

Here are 8 plastic recycling facts every household needs to know:

1. It takes over 1000 years for plastic to fully degrade.

Generations will come and go by the time a single piece of plastic degrades in a landfill. Ostensibly, plastic can take up to 1,000 years to fully degrade in any given landfill – and that is perhaps one of the most remarkable statistics out there.

2. There are millions of plastic bottle used and consumed.

One interesting plastic recycling fact is its extraordinary consumption rate. It is estimated by researchers that consumers purchase one million plastic bottles across the globe every minute. That is equal to 60 million plastic bottles per hour, or 1.44 billion each hour. What could we even say to that, except that these are perplexing numbers?

3. There are billions of plastic used and consumed.

Now, here are some plastic recycling facts that contain billions, not millions:

  • More than 20 billion single-use plastic straws are thrown away every year.
  • Eight billion metric tonnes of plastic seeps into the earth’s oceans every year.
  • Roughly three billion single-use plastic bags are utilized each year.
  • 3 billion metric tonnes of plastic have been produced since the 1950s – most of this was created in the last decade.
  • 35 billion plastic bottles are tossed in the garbage every year in the United States.

4. Only one-quarter of all plastic produced is recycled.

According to the data, approximately one-quarter of all the plastic produced in the U.S. is recycled. If the remaining amount of plastic was recycled, then that would be enough to save a billion gallons of gasoline.

5. Every plastic water bottle contains four cents of water.

Do you want to discover something really depressing? Every plastic water bottle you purchase contains just four cents worth of water. It’s true. Think about that the next time you spend a buck or two – or even $10 on a bottle of water.

So, what is the rest you are paying for? Well, the typical four things:

  • Bottling
  • Marketing
  • Packaging
  • Shipping

This is just further evidence that you’re throwing your money down the tube buying bottled water.

6. Recycled plastic has lots of different uses.

By now, you are probably asking: “So, what exactly can we do with recycled plastic?” And, you know what? That is an excellent question because a lot of everyday consumer items you purchased and use has been recycled from plastic water bottles.

Here is just a list of some of those products:

  • Automobile parts
  • Shoes
  • Luggage
  • Media cases
  • Clothing

Then, of course, things that you can utilize to recycle, from compost bins to bin liners.

As technology advances even more, we’ll probably come up with new uses for recycled plastic.

7. You can make money from recycling plastic.

Sure, you won’t get rich, but it’s still nice to have some money back from all your plastic water bottle purchases. On average, in Canada, you will get a nickel back for every plastic bottle up to one litre. Any bottle that is larger than one litre, will give you 20 cents.

It might not seem like much, but if your household is drinking several bottles of water a day, then you can return this can recoup some of your costs. That’s not bad, is it?

8. Canada has a great recycling ranking.

Plastic is the third most recycled product in Canada, behind newspapers and aluminum. Though it should be mentioned, that a lot of experts warn against recycling newspapers because the chemicals and aluminum is being recycled less and less because there is no money in it like there used to be.

Recycling has never been easier. Everywhere you go, there is a place to recycle your recyclables, including plastic. You just need to have the will to correctly dispose of your plastic rather than tossing it aside and send it straight to the landfill. The world is taking action on plastic, from bans to fines to taxes. Will it work? Only time will tell, but until then perhaps you can simply reduce your consumption of plastic and do your best to place it in the blue bin.